Basket



Feb. 27, 1951 A. ELLIS 3, 7

BASKET I Filed May 4, 1949 2 sheets sheet l lumuun/ HHHHIIIH H INVENTOR.A NN E L L /5 ATTORNEY Feb. 27, 1951 ELLls 2,543,157

BASKET F iled May 4, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. A/wv EL L IS 7 BYa Z Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE BASKET Ann Ellis,Victoria, Hong Kong Application May 4, 1949, Serial No. 91,255

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved type of basket, comprisinglongitudinally disposed strips of flexible material used as ribs to formthe sides, top and bottom of the basket. By being bent inwardly wherethe ends of the basket are to be, these ribs form also the ends of thebasket. The inwardly bent portions of the ribs are secured to each otherpivotally at each end of the basket by a shaft that is arrangedsubstantially axially with respect to the basket. The ribs are spacedapart laterally by cords that extend around the basket laterally and arefastened to the ribs.

Arrangement for opening and closing the basket is provided by leavingtwo adjoining ribs unconnected by the cords. Centrally attached to therib on each side of the opening so arranged is a latching member. Theselatching members cooperate to secure the basket closed when somanipulated. Also attached to the rib on each side of the opening is acarrying loop.

The basket comprising this invention is characterized by light weightcombined with strength and large carrying capacity with security againsthaving parcels fall out as from an open basket, by maximum ease offilling and emptying, by minimum space occupied when emptied and readyfor packing, and by economy in shipping and merchandising because of itslight weight and the small space into which it may be packed.

The invention will be disclosed more in detail in the followingspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a top elevation and shows the details of the catch;

Figure 2 is a collapsed side view;

Figure 3 is a collapsed end view;

Figure 4 is a side elevation; and

Figure 5 is a three-quarter perspective view.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The ribs I and 2 (Figure 1) are shown in substantially the positionsthey occupy when the basket is closed. Ribs 3, 5, etc., are spaced apartfrom rib I, and ribs 4, 6, etc., are spaced apart from rib 2 by cords land 8. Ribs I and 2 are unconnected to each other by the cords I and 5and form the sides of the basket opening. The latch members 9 and Ill,which are fastened to the ribs I and 2, respectively, are shown inposition to be interlocked with each other by longitudinal movementtoward positions opposite each other laterally. The handle loops II andI2, which may be made of the same material as the ribs, may be securedpivotally to the outer ends of latch members 9 and It. The shafts l3 andI4 extend through holes drilled in ribs I, 2, 3, 1, etc., near theirrespective termini, said holes being substantially in axial alignmentwith respect to the basket, as shown in the drawings. Said shafts may besecured against sliding out of position by any convenient means, such asby internally threaded beads l5 and i6 screwed on external threadsformed on said shafts.

The basket being closed and latched by meshing of latch members 9 andI0, to open the basket members 9 and. I5) are unmeshed by longitudinalmovement, to the position shown in Figure 1. Handle loops It and I2 thenare pulled apart from each other in opposite lateral directions. Oneadvantage of the present invention is ease of opening the basket, andthe large size of the opening aiiorded, which is as long as the basket,and may be made as wide as the basket, or any lesser Width, asdesired,according to how far apart the handle loops II and I2 are spread.

Another great advantage of the invention is that when not in use forcarrying parcels, or when being shipped or stored, etc., it may befolded so as to occupy a very small space, in the following simplemanner: First the handle loops II and I2 are pulled apart until theinwardly bent portions of ribs I and 2 are substantially horizontal.Then the basket is turned over, slight downward pressure exerted on itscenter while said handle loops are moved upward and together until theposition of the described parts as shown in Figure 3 is reached.

In this condition the basket not only occupies small space, but iscomparatively strongly resistant to crushing, an important item inshipping and. storing in large numbers.

It will be found advantageous to make the ribs of light, strong andresilient material, such, for example, as plastic, splints of bamboo orother similarly strong wood, such as hickory or oak, strips of lightmetal such as Duralumin or stainless steel. Added rigidity to the topribs is afforded by the latch members 9 and I0 secured to them. Thelatch members thus reinforce the top strips I and 2 at the points wherethe cords l and B are attached to said ribs and transmit added load tothem.

As will be seen from the accompanying figures, the ribs. both as totheir longitudinal portions and as to the inwardly bent portionsthereof, are graduated in length. In the event that maximum length atthe bottom of the basket is desired, the top and bottom of the basket asillustrated in the accompanying figures may be reversed, so that the topopening will be between two ribs here shown at the bottom, which arerelatively short, and the relatively long ribs shown here at the topwill be at the bottom to give maximum length there.

The cords i and 8 may be fastened to the ribs in several ways, such as,for example, by being tied, taped or cemented thereto, or interlacedtherewith, or any other convenient manner to secure them firmly to theribs and at such lengths as will give the desired spacing therebetween.A ready means of beautifying the basket is by twinlng ribbons about thecords,

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsible basket comprising a continuous, transverse peripheralseries of fiat strips of flexible material extending longitudinally ofthe basket and disposed side by side to form the bottom, sides and topof the basket, said strips being U-shaped with end portions disposed atapprox imately right angles to the central portion to form the ends ofthe basket, the ends of the strips being apertured, a pivot shaftextending through the apertures at the opposite end of all of the stripsto connect said latter ends pivotally together, said U-shaped stripsbeing of graduated length and proportionally graduated depth, with theshorter strips forming the bottom of the basket and increasingly longerstrips forming the sides, and with the two longest strips at the middleof the top, handles seemed to said longest strips, catch means forsecuring said longest strips together and a plurality of spaced cordsextending around the basket from one of said longest strips to the otherand secured to each of the strips to connect the strips together withthe space between successive strips not greater than approximately thewidth of the strips, said cords constituting load-carrying means fortransmitting the load carried in the basket to said handles.

2. A collapsible basket comprising a continuous transverse peripheralseries of flat strips of flexible material extending longitudinally ofthe basket and disposed side by side to form the bottom, sides and topof the basket, said strips being U-shaped with end portions disposed atapproximately right angles to the central portion to form the ends ofthe basket, the ends of the strips being apertured, a pivot shaftextending through the apertures at one end of all of the strips toconnect said U-shaped ends pivotally together, a second pivot shaftextending through the apertures at the opposite end of the strips toconnect said latter ends pivotally together, said strips being ofgraduated length and proportionally graduated depth, with the shorterstrips forming the bottom of the basket and increasingly longer stripsforming the sides, and with the two longest strips at the middle of thetop, at least the central portions of said longest strips beingreinforced, carrying handles secured to said reinforced portion-s, catchmeans for securing the reinforced portions of said longest stripstogether, a plurality of spaced cords extending around the basket fromone of said longest strips to the other and secured at spaced points tosuccessive strips to connect the strips together, said cords beingattached to the reinforced portions of said longest strips andconstituting load-carrying means for transmitting the load carried inthe basket to the reinforced portions of said longest stripsand to saidhandles.

ANN ELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,654 Hiering Apr. 1'7, 19282,133,896 Lawson Oct. 18, 1933 2,425,540 Kaplan Aug. 12, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 78,940 Germany Oct. 25, 1919

